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Public Speaking
Public Speaking Steps To Prepare *Outline your materials *Use key words on notecards for quick reference *Practice out loud *Rehearse until you know the speech proficiently, it helps to know what you're talking about *If you have access to the room you will present in try going through your speech once to get a feel of the room *Know who you are giving your speech to tailor what you are saying to them (you are going to explain more to someone that does not know what you are working on than to someone who knows) *Record yourself or practice in front of friends to get feedback on how you sound (This can help you see if your speech flows as good as you think it does) Giving Your Speech *Maintain good posture, stand up straight *Speak loudly and clearly *Don't use note card because you are an engineer *Avoid a monotone voice **If you show an interest and enthusiasm, the audience will respond * Maintain eye contact throughout the room, do not stare at your notes/screen more than 3 seconds. ** Have at least three key locations in the room to look at continuously throughout the speech Power Point Presentation Tips *Be sparse with words, use short sentences *Using 13 slides is great for your presentation, its a magic number *Avoid conflicting text colors and backgrounds, go for contrast *Have text and pictures line up with previous slides so the text and pictures move around the page because it is distracting for the audience *Transitions look cool but are stupid *Tell a story with your slides-make it interesting *Avoid word heavy slides - the fewer words the better *Use your slides as notes - don't read off of them *Use lots of visual aids (pictures, charts, diagrams) they will make your presentation much more interesting *Practice! Practice! Practice! Practicing in front of a mirror, or peers, is always a good idea *Time yourself when you practice to make sure it is within the time limit or you drag on or you might not get your proposal approved by your boss *If you usually talk faster or slower in you actual presentation make sure you take that in to account when you practice (i.e if you talk faster when you are nervous make your speech longer because you will move quickly through the content. If you speak slower, shorten it.) *If you have numbers make sure you know them because if you say something different then what is on your slide you will get called out on it *Use a company template if they have one then you do not have to worry about choosing one If you want to use a WSU Template the following website has them: http://identity.wsu.edu/downloads/pullman/powerpoint.aspx Common Mistakes One of the most typical mistakes made during public speeches is the use of "ummm", "uhh", "yeahhh" etc. Memorizing the order of your speech will help keep the ball rolling, and prevent you from stalling to think. Another key element of a speech is good eye contact. Looking at the floor or your notes doesn't promote a sense of confidence. A confident speaker shows the audience that you not only know what you are talking about, but are passionate and believe in your topic. A common method for keeping good eye contact is the "3 second rule". Keep eye contact with one person for three seconds, then move on to the next person. A great time is to already have three or four locations around the room in mind so those can be your go to points to look at when speaking. Keeping track of time is a big component to giving a speech. You want to give them as much detail as possible, but you want to be concise with that detail. Dragging on with the speech will get your audience disgruntled especially if they have somewhere else to be (like a meeting or get back to work). Though on the other side if you go to quickly you will end up with a lot of questions at the end of your presentation. What Makes a Strong Presentation When presenting to a professor, sponsor or client it is important to leave a lasting impression. This impression can give you the credibility to seal a potential business deal or pick up that promotion you've been working hard for. Below are some tips to leave a strong impression during a presentation: * If you can minimize the amount of text on the screen, DO IT. This requires you to truly know the material you are presenting. By having that knowledge, you are more than likely to walk into the presentation with confidence. * Every graphic you use in your presentation MUST have a purpose. Don't waste your time using stock filler images if they don't do anything more than fill the slide. * Be consistent! If you must use bulleted text in your presentation, keep the formatting consistent. Reference Sites 3tips Category:Life Tips Category:Academic Tips